Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Redzone Crossers lines up out of Shotgun Bunch Y-Flex with three receivers stacked to one side and a single receiver removed to the other. The bunch produces two deep crossing routes that sit at the top of the route concept, a shallow drag underneath from the bunch, and the backside single receiver runs an intermediate crosser to the opposite hash while the running back releases into a check release flat route out of the backfield. This is a man beater built to create natural rub picks at the line from the bunch alignment, with the primary read starting on the shallow drag against man coverage before working up to the deep crossers if the linebackers and safeties widen out.
Defensive Reads
Watch the cornerback depth on the bunch receivers before the snap, tight press man alignment tells you the rub route concept will likely spring someone open early. Key the middle linebacker at the snap, if he sits and does not widen with the shallow drag the crossers underneath will be open in the void. Identify single high versus two high safety shells, single high defenses with man underneath are the most vulnerable to this concept because the rub at the line disrupts man coverage leverage. Look for a user controlled defender lurking in the shallow crosser lane, a spy or rat linebacker sitting in that window can jump the shallow route and bait a turnover. Cover 3 with aggressive underneath zone drops can undercut the shallow drag, so be ready to climb the progression to the deep crossers or check down to the running back in the flat.
Usage Tips
Use this play on third and medium to third and long since the deep crossers need room to develop and the shallow drag can convert against tight man coverage.
Check the cornerback alignment on the bunch pre-snap, if you see press man across all three receivers the natural rub from the stack will spring the shallow drag open almost immediately.
Against zone shells, key the flow of the linebackers, the deep crossers are designed to sit in the void between the hook zone and the deep half, so climb your eyes to that window if the shallow drag is covered.
Hot route the check release running back into a pure block if you are facing a heavy blitz look, this buys the quarterback extra time for the crossers to clear the shallow zone.
Pair this play with Curls Y Swirl or Z Spot from the same set to keep the defense guessing between crossing concepts and quick game, forcing linebackers to hesitate on their zone drops.
